Health Topics Web

There is some concern lately of the possible side effects of using whey protein. After all, it’s a lot of protein to take in what looks like an unnatural form. Surely you can’t get something for nothing, right?

To understand the potential side effects of this popular bodybuilding supplement, we first need to look at how whey protein powder is made.

How Is Whey Protein Made?

Whey protein is all natural. It is made from the products of cow milk during the cheese making process. Therefore there are no artificial additives added to the mix. You can be sure that you are not eating anything synthetic.

What Are The Possible Side Effects Of Whey Protein?

Lactose Intolerance

The main side effect of whey protein is seen in people who are lactose intolerant. This usually means some minor digestive upset. These are exactly the same side effects that you would get from drinking milk or eating cheese.

If you know that you are already lactose intolerant from your experiences with milk, then you could expect similar results when using whey protein. In fact, these side effects are often so mild that many people drink and eat dairy products and do not even know that they are lactose intolerant because the symptoms are so mild.

Alternative available are protein powders derived from soya or rice.

Osteoporosis And Kidney Damage

Some experts believe that taking huge amounts of protein can lead to long term bone problems and kidney damage. This appears to be purely theory because there have yet to be found such cases in a huge population of millions of bodybuilders all over the world.

Let’s Balance The Benefits Versus The Side Effects

Ultimately, you should balance the side effects against the potential benefits. If you do not have lactose intolerance, then it makes sense to use whey protein in your building regime.

Nowhere else can you get such a high concentration of protein. When you compare a typical protein shake with meat then you would probably have to eat half a cow to get anywhere near the same amount! And let’s not forget that whey protein is totally natural.

Add to this that it is so versatile. You can make your own homemade protein shakes and you can even make ice cream from protein powder!

Moderation In Everything

They key with anything is moderation. Whilst the evidence for damage from long term whey protein use is sketchy at best, it is never a good idea to drink the same thing for breakfast for the rest of your life. After your main muscle building phase, give the shakes a rest and introduce new things into your diet such as more fruit.

Herbal weight loss supplements are a huge market in the US and worldwide. This is obvious when we think about it – more and more people are becoming overweight and obesity problems are crippling health systems all over. As soon as a society becomes affluent, more people gain excess weight.

The potential of magic bullets like herbal weight loss pills that work with no effort are obviously attractive. But what is the real deal with these remedies?

Often Unregulated

Most of these herbal remedies are known as supplements rather than drugs. Hence they are unregulated by the FDA. Whilst this means that they are easier to obtain for you and me, and probably also cheaper, it also means that they have not run the battery of tests that the law demands of any drug including double blind clinical trials.

I Thought Herbal Diet Pills Were Safe?

These supplements are natural but that does not necessarilly mean that they are safe. Let’s make a comparison to Chinese medicine. Chinese medicine has been popular for thousands of years, long before drugs were invented. However, they have remained relatively unchanged in all that time.

Now compare this to modern supplements which feature high concentrations only possible with modern methods of manufacturing. You can take a dose that nature never intended you to have. Thus there are side effects with many supplements.

Common Side Effects

One of the most common side effects are seen in diet pills with Ephedra. Ephedra is a stimulant and it is widely known that any stimulant, even caffeine, can have a detrimental effect on the body in high doses and when taken for long periods of time. My advice is to simply stay away from these types of supplements.

Another well know side effect is with the herb, Senna. This is a natural laxative but unfortunately is also highly addictive. If taken for too long then the body actually needs it for normal digestion. Take it away and cramps and constipation will result.

What Is The Best Weight Loss Supplement?

There is no such thing as a no.1 supplement but there are some that look the most promising. Probably the best one at the moment is Hoodia Gordonii. Derived from a cactus-like plant, it has powerful appetite suppresant properties and has long been used by tribes in Southern Africa who have used it to stave off hunger when on long hunting trips.